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How Can a Sharecropper or Sharefarmer Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?
Sharecroppers or sharefarmers get to use part of a farmer’s land in return to providing a portion of the harvest to the landowner. Because this method allows individuals with limited resources to take on the agricultural trade, it opens the door to entrepreneurship that otherwise might not be possible.
Sharecroppers may have a limited number of employees and may work directly on the land since they only own a portion of the land and profit. Sharecroppers benefit from larger harvest so they are often incentivized to work harder and invest in better production methods. They may operate farm machinery themselves, whether it was owned by them or the tenant farmer. Historically, this machinery may have contained asbestos in its clutches, gaskets, valves, brakes and brake pads. These items often became worn through friction, which caused deadly asbestos fibers to become airborne and breathed in by those nearby, such as sharefarmers.
Sharefarmers may have been exposed to asbestos from contaminated vermiculite. This material was often used in potting soils and other agricultural products and it often grows alongside asbestos. The most notorious source of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite was from a vermiculite mine near Libby, Montana, which produced 80%of the world’s vermiculite during its operating years. One study in 1963 showed that this vermiculite was contaminated with tremolite asbestos of concentrations between 6.2% to 22.5%.
Asbestos is also naturally occurring, so it may be present in the soil of farms. While it is may not bear much danger to farmers when undisturbed in the soil, studies have shown that the concentration of asbestos fibers in the air increase dramatically when agricultural activities are completed on the land.
Sharecroppers may have had to build sheds, chicken coops, greenhouses or other small structures on their portion of the land. Most construction materials before the 1980s contained asbestos.
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Sharecroppers
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently 876,300 people employed in the category of “agricultural workers.” 287,420 workers make up the classification: farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery and greenhouse. States with the highest employment rates for these workers include:
- California
- Washington
- Florida
- Arizona
- Oregon
Similar Occupations as Sharecroppers
Similar occupations as sharecroppers include:
- Agricultural and food science technicians
- Animal care and service workers
- Farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers
- Forest and conservation workers
- Grounds maintenance workers
- Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Sharefarmers and Mesothelioma
There have been some notable cases involving agricultural workers and mesothelioma. Some children of sharecroppers have developed mesothelioma, possibly as a result of secondhand exposure. One jury awarded $38 million to an agricultural worker after finding that asbestos product manufacturers should have known about the dangers of their asbestos products but failed to warn the worker about them. Additionally, some former farm machinery workers have successfully sued the manufacturers of farming equipment after showing that brakes and other automotive components of these machines were responsible for their asbestos exposure.
Studies Related to Sharefarmers and Asbestos
Several studies have explored the connection between asbestos exposure and agricultural work. A few have focused on the natural presence of asbestos in soil and the occupational hazard that this poses to local farmers. For example, a 2005 study showed that the closer a residence was to naturally occurring asbestos, the higher the risk of developing mesothelioma. The EPA is investigating a town near Sacramento, California with such naturally occurring asbestos where there may be elevated levels of asbestos in the soil. Other research has shown that winds in southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona near naturally occurring asbestos have spread these fibers to other nearby areas.
One case report of a man diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma showed that his exposure took place on a farm in Mexico with naturally occurring asbestos. Scientific studies have also found higher rates of mesothelioma in the area.
“Asbestos and agriculture: new perspectives of risk” is a 2012 study that focused on farmers in the Basilicata region of Southern Italy. It shows the risk of exposure to tremolite asbestos in agriculture is significantly higher than natural exposure. Areas with agricultural activity showed asbestos concentrations of 23.6 fibers per liter, compared to naturally occurring asbestos of 2 fibers per liter.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Sharefarmers
Sharefarmers may have worked with asbestos-containing agricultural products, such as:
- Agricultural filler
- Pesticides
- Animal feed
- Potting mix
- Root cuttings
- Seed germination
- Seed encapsulation
Those who worked with farm machinery may have been exposed to asbestos from automotive components, such as:
- Gaskets
- Valves
- Brakes
- Brake pads
- Seals
- Clutches
- Engine parts
Building materials that sharecroppers may have been exposed to that contained asbestos include:
- Asbestos cement
- Roofing
- Siding
- Piping
- Insulation
- Floor tiles
- Paint
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Sharefarmers
Some manufacturers of products used by sharefarmers that have been named in asbestos litigation include:
- Byron Jackson
- Caterpillar
- Crane Co.
- Durco
- John Deere Co.
- Johns Manville
- Owens-Corning
- Union Carbide
- UNARCO
- W.R. Grace
